An ode to the power of sibling love written by Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Judy Watson

A NOTABLE BOOK IN THE  CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS, PICTURE BOOK CATEGORY, 2023

Written by Sofie Laguna and published by Allen and Unwin
published by Allen and Unwin in 2022
ISBN 9781760291341
Buy copies here or in your local bookshop.
(The link takes you to a site where you can locate your local bookshop)

Beautiful, warm and evocative, this stunning picture book reveals an older brother’s hopes for the amazing experiences he will share with his new baby brother – when he’s older. A triumph of illustration and storytelling.

Baby brother, I can’t wait until you’re older.
Just imagine the adventures that lie ahead…

An exquisitely illustrated and deeply joyful celebration of the bond between brothers. Join them as they explore the far reaches of this wild and amazing world, side by side every step of the way. From two highly acclaimed and award-winning creators.

Reviews

’This is a very special picture book for all ages. We are with the brothers all the way – on the last pages, holding our breath. A masterpiece.’ ANN JAMES

‘This beautiful book gives us the life we’d all love our children to have, out in the natural world, revelling in its beauty and truly being part of it. The exquisite illustrations are bursting with energy and colour, the language is rich yet simple and the brothers look after each other as brothers should. It really hits the spot, right in your heart.’ ALISON LESTER

‘A heart-warming story about the powerful bond between brothers.’ MARGARET WILD

About illustrating this Book

This book depicts the powerful imagination of a young child and gallops through real world and fantasy world scenarios with blissful abandon. I had the pleasure of illustrating scenes ranging from underground caves to remote icebergs to wild and stormy seas. And those scenes are populated with animals ranging from the smallest lizards and butterflies to a fearsome but affectionate dragon. I drew what I would have loved to see in a picture book as a young child. I included small details to engage a solo child when a parent is not available to read aloud one more time. (‘Oh, there’s a lizard hiding in the tree hollow! Are there any more?’)

For this book, I used a range of hand-created media including drawn, printed or painted elements and I also scanned fabrics and woodgrain. The elements were then combined as a many-layered digital collage in PhotoShop.

The opening pages, though brightly coloured, are deliberately minimalist, taking a Less is More approach. I needed to create a contrast between the real world and the imagination. But the adventure scenes underwent a process that was a bit like filling up a bucket until it began to overflow, then taking bits out. I added elements and colour layers until the illustration began to lose its cohesion or focus and became ‘too much’. then I peeled away elements strategically until I felt I had captured the right balance of More is More.

The story features a young child who has recently become an older brother. The opening pages are set in the mundane world of home, with baby brother sleeping instead of playing. But our protagonist is patiently waiting for his brother to grow old enough to go on adventures and while he waits, he imagines them exploring the world. His imaginary adventures start small, and grow ever more exciting, until our little boy’s imagination leads him into a thrilling, life-threatening situation. But never fear! When brothers look out for each other, it will all end well.

When You’re Older is a perfect read-aloud for children who have just welcomed a new sibling into the home.